Quilt Patterns – Sew Bittersweet Designs

Blogger’s Quilt Festival – Quilted Crossroads

This is my first time participating in the Blogger’s Quilt Festival hosted by Amy at Amy’s Creative Side. Make sure you head on over and visit some of the other participants. There are so many incredibly talented people out there in blog land!

So the quilt I decided to enter I actually made last year shortly before my husband’s deployment to Afghanistan. I really felt like I was at a Crossroads in my life. He was leaving again (not by choice of course) and Anne and I had to figure out a new routine and life without him. Not an easy thing to do for a 2.5 year old. As I was playing in EQ7 one night this design came together and the quilt came together even faster.

I chose the colors teal and purple because they are calming and beautiful to me. They were the colors at my wedding and have always represented strength to me, something that the spouse and family members who stay at home during deployments need.

What I loved most about making this quilt was the fact that each night I worked on it, my husband sat in my sewing room with me and we talked and watched Mash re-runs as I sewed. It couldn’t have been more perfect (usually when I’m sewing he is off playing a video game).

I decided to keep with solids for the big version, though I did a wall hanging for Anne’s room of just 4 blocks (not set on point) and she has prints in her crisscrosses.

Here is a close up of one of the crosses.

I decided to do simple free motion stippling on my home machine in all of the background fabrics. For my backing I used a whole cloth, high thread count muslin. I love how soft muslin gets but most especially, I love not having to piece the back! And let me tell, the back looks really cool with the quilting.

This quilt just makes me happy. Many hours were spent snuggling underneath it with Anne while daddy was gone, and on mornings now when she gets up super early we still find ourselves cuddled together on her bed underneath it.

Quilted Crossroads Stats

Finished Quilt Measure: 51″ x 68″
Special Techniques Used: Block assembly from outside in
Quilted By: Melissa Dunworth (Myself)
Best Category: Favorite Throw Quilt

If you like this pattern and want to make one with your own special spin, I am happy to announce that it is now for sale on Craftsy.com at a special rate of $5.00. Please go here to purchase.

Thank you for visiting!!!

Twirling Around – Doing Something Good

9 Comments / Charity, Intrepid Thread, Quilt Patterns, Twirling Around Quilt / By Melissa Dunworth

I normally do not post twice in one day, but today is special. You may remember my Twirling Around Quilt that I posted pictures of back in January.

Well, yesterday, Julie from The Intrepid Thread made a wonderful announcement on her blog – you can now buy my very first pattern from Julie.

The pattern is being sold exclusively at The Intrepid Thread for $6.00. The best part is that all proceeds are being donated to Heartline – the charity that Julie helps support – on top of that…Julie is matching each donation dollar for dollar. This means, you spend $6.00 and $12.00 will be donated to Heartline.

And did I mention that Julie is have a great giveaway right now too!

Coming soon to a blog near you!

6 Comments / Quilt Patterns, Quilting Bees, tutorial / By Melissa Dunworth

There is still time to vote for your favorite project in the Valentine’s Day Showcase – head on over and vote! You can vote for more than one project – so spread the love where you feel the need 🙂

I thought I would give you a sneak peak at some of the things I have been working on – each has a tutorial coming soon!

Have you heard of the Home Sweet Home QAL going on over at Kim’s Crafty Apple? Kim asked me via twitter back in January if I would like to be a designer for her QAL and I said “yes, of course!” About a week ago panic set in, I had NO IDEA what I was going to make for my block. I seriously considered doing a tree house block – but I just couldn’t settle on a design. What do you think? Do you like this block? I see 3 more similar blocks being made and a wall hanging being created!

This is going to be a wall hanging for my mom. I made this using the Tri-Recs ruler (review coming next week!) and I honestly just started cutting and sewing without any real plan in mind. I am calling this “Guiding Star” because for so long, my mom has been just that in my life. The only time I have gone more than a day without talking to her has been when she goes traveling overseas with my dad (and we usually end up web camming whenever she does!). What do you think? Will she like it?

I joined the 3×6 Bee on Flickr this quarter and I said I would be open to any type of hive. I ended up in the paper piecing hive (hives immediately set in!!!). I have been wanting to improve my paper piecing (I’ve only done 4 blocks previously) and now I had no choice! I picked a block from the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Blocks and drew it up in EQ7. I love how it turned out – it almost looks 3-dimensional. I will have a tutorial up complete with cutting and sewing templates in the next couple of weeks.

What have you been up to? Did you get any sewing done over the long weekend?

Today I am off to the doctor to follow-up on some ongoing issues, so I won’t be around too much in the morning and later today the fridge repair company is coming back for the 4th time in an attempt to fix my ice maker! At this rate I hope to have ice by summer!

Twirl Inspiration

20 Comments / EQ7, Giveaway, Me and My Sister, Quilt Patterns, Twirling Around Quilt / By Melissa Dunworth

My first project this year was playing with Twirl. I have never made anything with a layer cake before and I wanted to make sure that I got the most use out the fabric available and that what I ended up with was a large usable quilt. Here’s what I designed and made:

Did I mention it snowed this weekend! I can’t tell you how tickled Anne was to play outside in it 🙂

The top measures 64×72 inches and I have decided to go borderless. This will be a first for me, but I just don’t think the quilt needs it. I am waiting on Twirl yardage to become available (supposed to be this week) and I will buy a backing and the binding – I’m hoping this will be my first BIG finish of 2012.

Have you entered the giveaway yet for the Twirl Layer Cake? What will you make if you win?

NOTE: Don’t forget, I am one of the bloggers who is going to lose Google Friend Connect in March 2012, please take a moment and follow me via Bloglovin’, Facebook, RSS or networked blogs. You are important to me and I want to be able to stay in contact with you! Check my side bar for all the best ways to stay in touch after GFC goes bye bye!

Progress & Pay It Forward

2 Comments / CeLynn's Sunflower Patch, pay it forward, Quilt Patterns, work in progress / By Melissa Dunworth

I got to sew sew sew today and tonight. My hubs got home late so after Anne went to bed, I got an hour in the sewing room. Here is my progress on my Twirling Around Quilt:

My hubby is working a 24 hour shift tomorrow, so I should be able to make some major progress if nothing catastrophic happens tomorrow.

In other fun news, I got an AWESOME package in the mail yesterday – well actually Anne and I got an AWESOME package in the mail. CeLynn from The Sunflower Patch hosted a Pay It Forward on her blog and I was one of the lucky people to get something from her!

Check it out!

Oh My Lord is CeLynn talented! I first met CeLynn in a swap I participated in and we also happen to be in a virtual bee together. She is wonderful! Check out her blog and check out her Etsy Shop too (she is on vacation until January 9th, but I promise she is worth the wait)!

I have one more Pay It Forward gift to make for my Pay It Forward – I have something special planned for it and I just need to find the time to git er done!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! I will be working on my quilt and the first two blocks for Jenna’s Sew. Happy. Quilt. QAL. What will you be working on?